
Sweet, orange pandanus jam spread on thin coconut flatbread — a Marshallese breakfast with a uniquely tropical aroma.
Pandanus (screwpine) fruit keys are a critical food source in the Marshall Islands. The orange, fibrous fruit is boiled and pressed to extract a sweet, aromatic paste that is reduced into jam. It is spread on a simple flatbread made from flour and coconut cream. The flavour is floral, sweet, and unmistakably Pacific.
Serves 4
Combine pandanus pulp, sugar, and lime juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 15–18 minutes until thick and jam-like. Cool.
Mix flour, salt, and coconut cream to form a soft dough. Rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each thinly and cook in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes per side until lightly charred.
Spread warm flatbreads generously with pandanus jam.
Pandanus pulp is extracted by squeezing and pressing boiled pandanus keys.
Mango makes a very close substitute if pandanus is unavailable.
Add a little coconut oil to the flatbread dough for richer flavour.
Swirl jam into coconut rice pudding.
Jam keeps refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Flatbreads best eaten same day.
Pandanus is called 'the tree of life' in many Pacific cultures. In the Marshall Islands its fruit was traditionally dried and pressed into paste cakes for storage during droughts or sea voyages.
Asian grocery stores often carry frozen pandanus pulp. Fresh fruit is available in Pacific Island communities.
Per serving (200g / 7.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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